lisa Posted June 4, 2002 Share Posted June 4, 2002 We left the car at 5:00pm Friday, approx. 4400ft. 2 miles from Morrison Creek trailhead. The road is patchy at the start, we carried our skis maybe a half mile, then we began skinning. We reached Cold Springs around 7:00 and set up camp just beyond the trailhead, to avoid the early morning droves of climbers. As dusk neared, a brilliant exhibit of red, orange and blue entwined, filled the western sky. We enjoyed a small fire while sipping Makers Mark; and watched a symphony of beauty, as dusk faded into darkness while stars filled the sky, dancing together as if the silence a melody. Finally after beers and bourbon we hit the hay at 11:30, early risers...not. Saturday morning after much coffee, we proceeded through timberline and decided to take compass bearings for fun and avoid following others tracks. We tried to get away from these red wands all over the place, but wherever we ventured, they would re-appear. We took a lunch break and soon found we were being followed by others who must have found our tracks appealing. At 6500ft we began noticed folks camping, although the majority were headed East toward Smith Butte, the standard Winter route, out of the way for this time of year. As we ascended the valley, we debated on wheather to camp on the ridge to our West, or the end of the valley just ahead. We quickly made our decision at 7400ft where we found a small, but worthy spring of water. We set up camp, then ventured over to gather water. Within minuets, two female rangers skied down to us. My wonderful over zelous dog, Shasta, who loves to chase skiers, somehow caught one of the rangers off guard and she fell. Of course, it was sloppy, heavy snow at this point. I quickly approached the rangers as they took their gear off and before she spoke, I called her by name, as I recognized her to be a fellow ski buddy I met skiing the bc during winter. She told me she was going to yell at me for the dog at first, I told her there is no leash law on Adams, and the other ranger laughed, for she loved dogs and felt the bc was where dogs are meant to be. These gals are great folk who love the mtns and have commited themselves to employing thier passions to care for and treasure what the rest of us want to use on occasion. They foresake the money and benefits that more prestigous jobs hold. I know her boyfriend has worked for the F.S. for 10 years and still can't get benefits, what a joke. They are good people with good hearts like most of us, be nice to them! Although we don't like the system, paying to climb when others(mobilers)don't; we should take into consideration people are employed because of it, and the mtn. will be a cleaner place than it would be if we were to leave it up to ourselves to keep it clean. How many climbers/backpackers would volunteer their weekends to clean feces and trash off a mtn? Back to the climb: Pat decided to get a run in, and headed up 1000ft for some late afternoon turns. I set up the tent and drank a brewski that Pat so graciously carried. Sunday morning we left camp at 9:30, hoping the sun would soften the snow enough that we may skin all the way. We stopped once for a food break around 9500ft, then reached the false summit around 2:00. We had skinned all the way. Pat proceeded to skin to the summit, though he said it was very icy and wind blown, not worth taking the pooch any further. I had summited a few times before and felt I didn't need to go this time, so I hung at Pikers Peak w/Shasta who was not appearing to keen on going further. The ski down was fabulous, we had hoped to ski the SW chutes, but time had become an issue. The snow was great, no frozen sustrugi to break through. Just before camp the snow became sloppy and I took another whipper, not my day that day. We broke down camp in less than an hour and began our ski to the car. With all the various wands strewn about, its quite clear which way leads to the road. (btw, the rangers don't wand the mtn, it's gapers who do, and leave w/out picking up thier wands, and the rangers are told not to pick them up.) We were at the car in two hours, after I flailed some more through the twigs and moss under the trees...they make great breaks. We loaded up the car and sipped a cold one; as we drove past the many folks loading thier cars, they would see Shasta hanging her head out the window and they would cheer: "There goes Shasta". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dkemp Posted June 4, 2002 Share Posted June 4, 2002 Hey Lis! Nice TR. Hope to visit the mtns with you and Shasta again. -Dox Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gapertimmy Posted June 6, 2002 Share Posted June 6, 2002 damn! Shasta has bagged more peaks than i have this spring Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lisa Posted June 6, 2002 Author Share Posted June 6, 2002 Thanks Dox! Hope to get out with you bushwackers soon! As for gappertimmy, you need to get out of the garage! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dru Posted June 7, 2002 Share Posted June 7, 2002 Talk about a butt shot and puppy porn!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iain Posted June 7, 2002 Share Posted June 7, 2002 What's with all that smoky haze over by the Cowlitz G.? Oohhhhh... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Posted June 13, 2002 Share Posted June 13, 2002 Nice TR Lisa, MISSIN' YA! Give Shasta a hug for me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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